anth-rate-limits

name	anth-rate-limits
description	Implement Anthropic Claude API rate limiting, backoff, and quota management. Use when handling 429 errors, optimizing request throughput, or managing RPM/TPM limits across usage tiers. Trigger with phrases like "anthropic rate limit", "claude 429", "anthropic throttling", "claude retry", "anthropic backoff".
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Edit
version	1.0.0
license	MIT
author	Jeremy Longshore <[e-mail]>
tags	["saas","ai","anthropic"]
compatible-with	claude-code

Anthropic Rate Limits

Overview

The Claude API uses token-bucket rate limiting measured in three dimensions: requests per minute (RPM), input tokens per minute (ITPM), and output tokens per minute (OTPM). Limits increase automatically as you move through usage tiers.

Rate Limit Dimensions

Dimension	Header	Description
RPM	anthropic-ratelimit-requests-limit	Requests per minute
ITPM	anthropic-ratelimit-tokens-limit	Input tokens per minute
OTPM	anthropic-ratelimit-tokens-limit	Output tokens per minute

Limits are per-organization and per-model-class. Cached input tokens do NOT count toward ITPM limits.

Usage Tiers (Auto-Upgrade)

Tier	Monthly Spend	Key Benefit
Tier 1 (Free)	$0	Evaluation access
Tier 2	$40+	Higher RPM
Tier 3	$200+	Production-grade limits
Tier 4	$2,000+	High-throughput access
Scale	Custom	Custom limits via sales

Check your current tier and limits at console.anthropic.com.

SDK Built-In Retry

import anthropic

# The SDK retries 429 and 5xx errors automatically (2 retries by default)
client = anthropic.Anthropic(max_retries=5)  # Increase for high-traffic apps

# Disable auto-retry for manual control
client = anthropic.Anthropic(max_retries=0)

const client = new Anthropic({ maxRetries: 5 });

Custom Rate Limiter with Header Awareness